The invention relates generally to electronic displays having dual display screens used with computers and CAD design equipment, and more particularly to a display system permitting positioning of dual display screens in an infolded xe2x80x9cbookingxe2x80x9d mode, and to a novel dismountable joint for mounting articles, such as display screens. Also disclosed is an interchangeable display screen and mounting.
Computers are readily adapted to operate multiple displays. Paired monitors and screens are useful when large amounts of related information, such as data or graphics, must be compared. Paired monitors can be inconvenient, however, where limited desk space is available. Monitors may be horizontally aligned, or vertically aligned. It is especially desirable to permit swinging of the monitor orientations together into a xe2x80x9cbookingxe2x80x9d mode.
The invention also relates to a novel swingable mounting, which is suitable for mounting a variety of different pieces of equipment and instruments particularly for example video cameras, telescopes, mirrors, and any number of different articles, which it may be desired to swing into a position from which the article is not easily displaced.
The invention also relates to an interchangeable computer display screen, in which one or more of a variety of screen configurations can be connected or disconnected in various configurations with a computer.
In one aspect, the invention provides a display system having two screens and comprising a base, a pair of electronic displays mounted on the base and means for swingably mounting the display screens, for swinging towards one another for convenient viewing. The swinging means includes an arm assembly which supports the display screens on the base. The support for the arm assembly from the base may have an orientation relative to the base in which the display screens are positioned in vertically stacked screen relationship and may also have a different orientation in which the display screens are positioned in a horizontal, side by side relationship. Each display screen has a swingable joint connecting it to the arm assembly to permit adjustment of its angular orientation relative to the other screen. The angular orientation of each of the display screens relative to the arm assembly can thus be set by the user so as to orient each display screen in the desired angular orientation for that operator.
In one implementation of the invention, the arm assembly can be set in one position about a generally horizontal axis relative to the base, and the display screens can be swung together relative to the arm assembly. The arm assembly may be locked in either orientations, typically vertical or horizontal. Each display screen may be permitted to swing only between a pair of angular positions relative to the arm assembly by controls in the swingable joints.
The displays will often be horizontally arranged side by side in their operative angular orientation. It will generally be desirable to minimize the spacing between edges of the display screens whether vertically registered or horizontally registered. To that end, the center-to-center spacing between the display screens is preferably reduced when the screens are swung together.
The swingable mounting joints connecting the display screens to the arm assembly are preferably formed in such a way that they can be preconfigured either for a side by side orientation or for a vertically stacked orientation of the screens, with means being provided on the swingable joints to guide the assembly in one fashion or the other, and the arm assembly is preferably provided with connecting means connecting to the swingable joints, which cooperate with the means guiding the assembly.
The swingable joints are preferably provided with control abutments by means of which the swinging of the displays can be guided and controlled both when in their horizontal side-by-side arrangement and when in their vertically stacked arrangement, and the position and angular displacement of the two screens can be preset by adjustment of such positional controls during assembly.
A further feature of the invention is the provision of a unique form of spring-loaded pivot mount for mounting equipment, such as the display screen. The pivot mount is capable of adjusting the spring pressure on the pivot so that the article mounted on the pivot mount, in this case a screen can be adjusted, when grasped with both hands and moved, but which is otherwise highly resistant to movement due to frictional locking of the pivot mount.
The pivot mount has numerous other uses, other than mounting display screens as will be apparent from the following description.
Further aspects of the invention provide for the interchangeability of screens one with the other, so that larger or smaller screens may be used with the same computer, and so that screens may be used in various different positions.
In some cases the screens may simply be stood on a table. In other cases the screens may be wall-mounted or mounted on some form of base separate from the computer. In other cases the screens may be interchangeably and releasably mountable for example in a vehicle, and they may be configured in pairs so that they may be portable and set up for a multi screen display, for example, for viewing by a number of persons simultaneously.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with more particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.